Viewpoint: Gender-neutral anthem strikes the right chord

By Alicia Wachon

Canada’s embrace of gender equality has reached a new musical high.

On Feb. 7, the national anthem was officially altered to include gender neutral lyrics. Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly explained that a century-old line from O, Canada — “in all thy sons command” — was being replaced with the lyric “in all of us command.”

Joly was joined for the announcement by Catherine Bélanger, widow of the late Ottawa-Vanier Liberal MP Mauril Bélanger, who was the original sponsor of the bill legislating the change.

“His long advocacy for the subject has actually changed the course of our history,” Joly said of Mauril Bélanger’s dying wish. “Now, women across this country will be well reflected in their own national anthem.”

The enshrining of the gender-neutral anthem constitutes an acknowledgement that many minority groups in this country face challenges regarding social inclusivity. With examples like the Trudeau government’s creation of a gender-balanced cabinet in 2015, and recent official apologies to Indigenous peoples and LGBTQ Canadians for historic injustices, it appears that some minorities unintentionally fall through the cracks.

Despite progress, social inclusivity remains incomplete.

Incorporating gender equality into our highly symbolic national song sends a message that we must continue thinking of ways to embrace all citizens equally.

Without this mindset, transgender bathrooms or the legalization of same-sex marriage across Canada might never have come to be.

When it comes to the anthem, there have been some dissenting opinions.

Federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer expressed his opposition in a HuffPost article, saying that there was too much of a rush to alter O, Canada and that proper government consultation should have preceded any change.

Perhaps the reformist tide brought on by the #MeToo movement drove the government’s desire to get the anthem changed now, but the idea to incorporate gender-neutral lyrics goes back years.

Don Plett, a Conservative senator from Manitoba, also suggested that a public referendum could have taken place to better capture the Canadian population’s views on changing the anthem.

“It’s a national institution, it’s our national anthem that we’ve been singing for decades,” said Plett. “To make that kind of a change, I believe Canadians should have had a greater say on it.”

There’s some merit in the idea of consulting Canadians about changing a historic piece of Canada’s identity. But I find it hard to agree with opinions that can only be described as blocking progress towards basic inclusiveness and equality.

Canada’s adoption of the new gender-neutral anthem helps put the country on the right track.